Fish bait



April 21, 1931- w. STANLEY 1,801,940

FISH BAIT Filed Oct. 10, 1927 :ti0n' is to so confi re'the Patented Apr. 21, 19.31

' WILLIAM, srniann'rgor cnrcaeo, mnem 9 .mn BAIT Application ma October 10, m1. Serial No. spam. 7

The bait of the resent invention is designed as a surface 't adapted to float on the surface both when lying still and when being retrieved, and the ob'ect 'of the invenontal portion of the bait that when being retrieved, it will react to variations in water pressure in such a way as to cause a life-like darting from side to side of the bait'while maintaimn its po 10 sition at the surface and will, at t e same the retrieving all times part y-out of water and, at the same time, cause a surface disturbance of the water which will better serve to attract and lure the fish. The bait is thus desi nod to 'resist complete submergenoe-under t e tension of line, and to maintain itself at time, to secure a fluttering and darting eflect on the surface rather than below the surface as is commonly the case in wooden plugs designed to simulate the movements of a minnow. I

Further objects and details of the present bait will a pear from a description thereof in conjunction with the accompanying draw-.

wherein- Y .igure 1 is an elevation, partly in section,

tion assumed by the baitwhile being retrieved; r

and an intermediateneck ortion12l The body is of generally ovate ormationin plan and 14 o the body are of relatively'vflattened =46 l in obliquerelation to the upper;

, t e body andis showing the floating bait while at rest;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the posiposition occupied by the Fig. 3 is a top view of the bait; and- Fig. 4 is a front elevation thereof".

The bait comprises a body 10, a head 11,

and of rearwardly taperingFformation inside elevation, as indicated in, igs. 38,116.12, respectivel The upper and lower surfaces 18 formation,the'si des 15. of the body being rounded and. merging curvedly into the top and bottom faces. 1 I

vThe head extends upwardly and forward of herically rounded on its upper surface 16 w i'ch merges curvedly into the neck portion of the bait; The of Hie-head, which constitutes what may be 50 termed the frontal structure of the is v 1ty 17 which is surrou d disposed concavby a sharp rim or margin 18 which, on each side, constitutes a side lip, the purpose and function of which will hereinafter-appear. y

The side lips merge into a lower: lip 19 which constitutes in effect a somewhat abprovided with'an obliquel 'rupt cross ridge which merges at its side curvedly into the side 1i of the frontal structure. The front of t e bait below the lower lip 19 is tapered as at 20, which tapering takes the form of a sh'allow groove, the

medial or base line of which runs obliquely at a slightly more abrupt angle the plane a of the lips or margins, 'so that e groove 20 progressively deepens to the point where it merges into the lower lip 19. J T

. It will be observed by comparison of Figs. 2 and 4 that the frontal by the rimor margi which comprises the side lips, the top and the rim of the channel pear "shaped appear- 19, presents an ovate or ance when viewed from the front, and that the margins all the way around lie in a sin-, gle obli ue plane, as viewed from the side. The nec portion, behind the head, on each side, resents the appearance of an inwardly and then outwar curving configuration which constitutes in e ect a pair of side channels for the back flow of the water escaping as the bait is retrieved.

. The line tie 21 is located above the line of flotation (water line) of. the bait and at point approximately twe-thirds of thedistance from the bottom to the top of the [frontal face of. the bait.- The hook 22 has its shank entered into the. tapering end of the bed and secured by apin or screw 23 with the arb of the hook standing upwardly and protected b a bucktail 24, which also flares outwardly mm the shank of the'hook. and

extends tothe rear thereof. The bait is preferably ballasted by a lead insert 25, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

-With the bait at rest, it will occupy the position indicated in Fig. 1 with the line he slightly above the water surface, and the shank of the hook lying at about the water level. The upper 'surface'ofthe body will lie in a plane substantially parallel with the structure, as defined water surface, and the plane of the front face will stand at an angle of approximately to the water surface. 'In these conditions, the bucktail will be about half immersed in the water; 7

When the bait is being retrieved, the obliquity of the front face as a whole will tend to cause the forward end of. the bait to lift, as in Fig. 2, which will tend to cause a correspondin depression of the rear end of the a bait which will practically submerge the bucktail. In retrieving, the forward end of the bait will tend to lift until the lower lip 19 occupies a plane substantially at the water level. i

The lower lip constitutes a cross ridge or obstruction which tends to prevent an excessive lifting of the forward end of the bait and affords, in effect, a gauge for maintaining the bait .at substantially the angle indicated in Fig. 2 and prevents it from bodily jumping out of the water. At the same time, by thus gauging the lift of the forward end, the bait as a whole'will be maintained at the proper retrieving angle, so that the water pressure exerted against the frontof the bait will be best utilized for the purpose of causing the darting movements from side to side which constitute the characteristic actions of the present bait.

These darting movements are occasioned by variations in the water pressure exerted laterally by the escaping water against the side lips 18 which constitute the side margins of the frontal concavity. Even a slight inequality in water pressure will cause a side deflection of the bait in one direction or the other, and this will cause a side swinging movement of the bait upon the line tie as an axis which will result in a rapid darting or fluttering back and forth swinging movement of the rear end of the bait resulting in a fluttering of the hucktail and a surface disturbance of the water highly effective in the luring of game fish.

The bucktail, being flexible, will tend to stabilize the action of the rear end of the bait to the degree necessary to prevent a bodily jumping out of the bait by maintaining a sufficient grip on the water without,

' however, unduly restricting the rapid and erratic movements of the rear end of the bait from side to side which it is the purpose of the frontal structure to promote. The lower lip 19 thus co-acts with the bucktail in maintaining sufficiently stable conditions to hold the bait at the desired obliquity within the water to permit the effective action of the water in causing the darting movements referred to.

Although the lower lip lifts to about the water surface level, nevertheless the water will surge up or be crowded up into the concavity above the lower lip, so that 'the effective action of the water escaping past the side lips-and streaming rearwardly past the neck 0 the bait will be maintained. The configuration is one which afiords means for restralning the bait against up and down movements which would interfere with the proper surface travel of the bait, so that an effective side to side movement at the surface with a consequent surface disturbance is secured.

I claim:

1. A surface bait comprising a body portion terminating in a head partly pro ectin above the body portion and having a fronta formation in a lane oblique to the longitudinal axis of the bait, said frontal formation comprising a concavity affording marginal side lips and a lower cross 1i disposed in a common plane, the latter a ording' an obstruction for regulating the elevation of the front of the bait assumed when retriev= ing, a hook extending rearwardl from the bait, and a line tie secured to the ront of the bait at a point above the lower lip, substantially as described.

2. A surface bait comprising a body portion terminating in a head partly projectmg above the body portion and having a frontal formation 1n a plane oblique to the longitudinal axis of 'the bait, said frontal formation comprising a concavity affording marginal side ips and a lower cross lip disposed in a common plane, the latter affording an obstruction vfor re lating the elevation of the front of the bait assumed when retrieving, a hook extendin rearwardly-from the bait, a line tie secure to the front of the bait at a point above the lower lip, and a flexible guard extending rearwardly from the bait and surrounding the hook and adapted in conjunction with the lower lip to stabilize the liftin action of the bait, substantially as describe 3. A surface bait comprising a body portion terminating in an obliquely forwardly extending head partly projecting above the body'portion, the front of the head lying in an obliquely extending plane and comprisin a frontal concavity affording marginal si e lips and a cross lower lip disposed in a common plane, the latter constituting an obstruction for stabilizing the lifting effect of the water exerted against the front, the front of the bait below the lip beingin the form of a rearwardly and downwardl tapering shallow groove, a hook extending rearwardly from the body of the bait, and a line tie secured tothe front of the bait above the lower lip, substantially as described.

4. A surface bait comprising abody portion terminating in an obhquely forwardly extending head partly projecting above the body obliquely extending lane and comprising a frontal concavity a ording margmal side lips and a cross lower lip disposed in a common plane, the latter constituting an obstruction for stabilizing the liftingefiect of the water exerted a ainst the front, a hook extending rearwar ly from the body of the bait, and a line tie secured to the frontof the bait above the lower lip, substantially as de scribed.

5. A bait comprising a body portion terminatingin anobliquely forwardly extending head, the front of the bait lying in an obliquely extending plane and comprising a frontal concavit affording marginal side lips and a cross ower lip, the latter constitutlng an obstruction for stabilizing the lifting effect of the water exerted against the front, the front of the bait below the lip being in the form of a rearwardly and downwardly tapering shallow groove, a hook extendin rearwardly from the body of the bait, an? a line tie secured to the front of the bait above the lower lip, the head mer 'ng into the body in a neck constituting si e channels for the rearward escape of water, substantially as described.

6. A bait comprising a body ortion-termimating in an obli uely forwardly extending head, the front 0 the bait lying in an obliquely extending plane and comprising a frontal concavit affording marginal side lips and a crow ower lip, the latter constituting an obstruction for stabilizing the lifting effect of the water exerted against the front, a hook extending rearwardly from the body of the bait, and front of the bait above the lower lip, the head merging into the body in a neck constituting side channels for the rearward escape of water, substantially as described.

7. A bait comprising a body portion terminating in an obliquely forwardly extending head, the front of the bait lying in an obliquely extending plane and comprisin a frontal concavit afl'ording marginal side lips and a cross lower lip, the latter constituting an obstruction for stabilizing the lifting effect of the water exerted against the front, the front of, the bait below the lip being in the'form of a rearwardly and downwar ly tapering shallow groove, a hook extendlng-rearwardly from the body of the bait,'a line tie secured to the front of the bait above the lower lip, and a flexible hook guard having the characteristics of a bucktail and diver 'ng from the rear end of the bait body an co-operating with the lower lip in maintaining the proper angle of the bait while retrieving, substantial y as described.

8. A bait comprising a bodyportion terminatin in an obliquely forwardly extendin hea the front of the bait lying in an ob iquely extending lane and comprising a frontal concavity a ordin marginal side lips and a cross lower lip, t e latter constituting an obstruction for stabilizing the lifting effect of the water exerted against the front, a hook extending rearwardly' from the a line tie secured to the l body of the-bait, a line tie secured to the front of the bait above the lower lip, and ,a flexible hook uard having the character istics of a buc ail and diver ing from the rear end of the bait body and with the, lower lip in maintaining the roper angle of thebait while. retrieving, su stantialy as described. w

9. A bait comprising a body :portion .terminating in an obliquely forwardly extendin head, the front of the bait lying in an ob iquely extending plane and comprising a frontal concavity affording marginal side lips and a cross lower lip, the latter constitutin .an obstruction for stabilizing the lifting eflict of the water exerted against the front, the front of the bait below the lip being in the form of a rearwardly and downwardly tapering shallow rearwardly from t e body of the bait, a line tie secured to the front of the bait above the lower lip, the head merging into the body in a neck constituting side channels for the rearward escape of water, and a flexible hook guard having the.characteristics of a bucktail and diverging from the rear end of the bait body and co-operating with the lower lip in maintaining the proper angle of the bait while retrieving, substantially as described.

10. A bait com rising a body portion terminatin in an o liquely forwardly extending hea the front of the bait lying in an obliquely extending frontal concavity a ording marginal side lips and a cross lower lip, the latter constituting an obstruction for stabilizing the lifting effect of the water exerted against the front, a hook extending rearwardly from the body of the bait, a line tie secured to the front of the bait above the lower lip, the head merging into the body in a neck constituting side channels for the rearward escape of water, and a flexible hook guard acteristics of a bucktail and diverging from the rear end of the bait body and co-operating with the lower lip in maintaining the proper an le of the bait while retrieving, substantia ly as described.

11. A bait comprising a body terminating at its forward end in an obliquely elevated head rounded on its upper surface, the forward portion of the head lying in a plane oblique to the longitudinal axis of the body and configured to afford a frontal concavity having a margin of pear shaped configuration, and a hook secured to the body, substantially as described. r

12. A bait comprising a body terminatin at its forward end in an obliquely elevated head rounded on its upper surface, the forward portion of the head lying in a lane oblique to the longitudinal axis of the ody and configured'to afford a frontal concavity having a margin of ar shaped confi ration, the curvature c said concavity ing co-operating lane and comprising 8..

having the char-- r0ove,a hook extending interrupted by an abrupt cross ridge constitutin an obstruction for limiting the angle of ii of the bait when being retrieved, and a hook secured to the body, substantially as described.

r 13. A bait comprising a body terminatin at its forward end in an obliquely elevated head rounded on its upper surface, the forward portion of the head lying in a plane obliqueto the longitudinal axis of the body and configured to afiord a frontal concavity having a margin of pear shaped configuration, the curvature of said concavity bein interrupted by anabrupt cross ridge constitut- 15 infgt an obstruction for limiting the angle of 1i of the bait when being retrieved, and a hook guard having the characteristics of a bucktail and adapted to co-act with the cross ridge in maintaining-the desired angle for 20 the bait while retrieving, substantially as described.

. WILLIAM STANLEY. 

